fulmination
by archiveallie
Summary: ful·mi·na·tion: a violent explosion or a flash like lightning. - an oc-centric story, told in a series of drabbles.
1. Chapter 1

**disclaimer:** i do not own bleach or any of its characters. i only own my oc, naoko.

this story follows my original character, naoko kojima. it's told in a drabble format so not every chapter is connected in a flowed fashion. there will be a ship between an original character and canon character, but it's not the main focus. i've worked very hard on miss naoko here, i'm very excited to be doing this! so, please enjoy! :)

* * *

 _ **fulmination**_

 **chapter one:** the smell of lilies in the rain

* * *

a single drop of rain water runs down the side of the face of a young woman. it resembles a tear, trailing down her cheek. her features are soft, dainty aside from the dark scowl etched into her features. russet eyes glance upwards at the gray, rumbling skies above her, large drops of water falling down almost in slow motion. she takes a step forward, fingers brushing against the carmine spider lilies that reach to her mid thigh.

spider lilies. she briefly looks around her, taking in the enormous flower field she stands in. the red coloring of the thin petals stand out against the bleak hue of the sky. it's beautiful, she supposes, continuing to walk forward to where she can see a clearing. in the square clearing, she can make out a table and a woman sitting with her back to her. she can see the woman's skin where the top of her _kimono_ fell loose around her shoulders, revealing black and red ink on her pale skin. the tension between her eyebrows slackens as her glare fades into a more neutral look of vague interest. she wonders what the image is on the unknown woman's back.

her bare feet carry her closer to the opening in the field, the heavenly scent of the lilies following her path. it's like being surrounded by perfume from the best stall in the first _rukongai_ district. expensive, yet she assumes it would be worth it.

she's made it to the edge of the clearing, her toes digging into the damp, dark earth the flowers live in. there's a noticeable line separating the dirt and the white sand of the clearing. now that she's closer to the woman, the tattoo is clearer and much more astounding up close. it's a chinese dragon, or at least the head as she can't see the rest under the kimono, in shaded black ink. she can tell that it's big, it most likely takes up the entire span of this woman's back. there are two dark red spider lilies near the dragon's head and she'd bet that the flowers surround the entirety of the dragon.

she's beginning to notice a pattern here with the flowers and she can't tell if she's impressed.

the stranger sits upon a simple looking crimson cushion, her body positioned in a casual manner, her feet tucked under her. the black _kimono_ , designed expertly with (surprise!) spider lilies sewn into the fabric, dark against her pale skin. inky black hair is pinned up with extravagant _bira-bira_ prongs, the sticks black and the silver metal strips hanging from the end sway in the breeze, a soft tinkling surrounding the area in an echo.

from behind, she seems relaxed and lazily poised, her shoulders slouched. but there's a tenseness to the firm muscles, like she's waiting. or anticipating something to happen.

perhaps she should— "child," a stern, distorted voice says. the girl jolts at the sudden sound, having grown used to the rumbling in the distance and the soft patter of rain hitting ground. it was distinctly feminine and mature, a rough edge to it that wasn't entirely expected. and it had come from the woman before her, she notes as a clicking sound rang through the clearing, as if something had been set upon the table.

"do you hear me?" the voice drawls. "or shall i face you and speak? as if that would even work," the last part was muttered with scoff and immediately the girl takes offense.

"do i know you?" she asks, a defiant tone to her much softer voice, a sweet and high lilt. the woman tenses and thunder growls closer to them as the girl stands her ground.

silence stretches long and thin after that question, she anxiously begins to shift from foot to foot, dirtying her skin.

"i know you," the woman answers gruffly, "naoko is your name, is it not, child?" naoko stiffens, full lips curling into vexed sneer.

 _how does she know my name, she shouldn't know my name, i don't know_ her _._

a short cackle resonates directly from the woman, her shoulders shaking. the _kimono_ falls slightly, revealing more of the intricate tattoo, but naoko thinks it's ugly now. the sneer stays in place as her temper rises and the thunder clouds grow closer. from above, the rain begins to fall harder, smaller but faster drops pelting down from the gloomy clouds.

"you are angry, i know." the way she says this, implies that she knows what the girl is feeling. but she doesn't, she shouldn't. _because naoko doesn't know her._ "i am angry too, but for different reasons."

naoko hasn't moved from her spot, her toes gripping the loose earth beneath her, knuckles gone white. "that's nice," she grits out, voice coming out in a quiet growl. "why should i care?"

the woman's face turns faintly towards naoko, giving a vague view to a sharp jaw and pronounced cheekbones. she can't see the woman's eyes, black tresses fall in front of her face. naoko can't explain why this bothers her, can't explain why seeing the woman's eyes is so important to her.

an indelicate snort erupts from the stranger; it sounds irritated, a touch sarcastic. "i am angry with _you_ , child." this brings naoko to freeze in her spot, prompting her to stop shifting in her stance. she's about to demand why, when the woman cuts her off, "you don't know my name and frankly, that pisses me off."

immediately, the words cause something to click within naoko, words and information sinking in. oh. _oh_. she remembers learning about this in one of her classes, hoshino was very adamant and informative of this.

 _all_ zanpakutō _are nameless until you are worthy of knowing their name_ , he had intoned wisely to her class, _and if you are worthy of knowing their name, then you are worthy to wield them and bond with them_.

"you're my _zanpakutō_ ," naoko says flatly, a tired timbre coloring her voice. "and this is my… inner world."

"tch!" her _zanpakutō_ clicks her tongue in displeasure and naoko fights the urge to roll her eyes. "you're more oblivious to this than i had originally thought." a sharp breeze pushes the woman's hair back away from her face, revealing a sharp, deep blue eyes staring directly at naoko. she tenses, audibly gulping as a heavy _reiatsu_ settles around her. "no. this is _my_ inner world."

the words, _for now_ , lingers in the air.

naoko chances a step forward, moving her small foot from brown dirt to ivory sand. the moment the pad of her foot touches the grainy texture, thunder booms directly overhead and a bright flash of red cracks in the sky. more startled than scared, she jumps backwards, nearly tripping over herself. the spirit rolls her shoulder, an electric hum buzzing in the atmosphere.

the sapphire blue eye glints dangerously at her. "try it again, and i won't hesitate to decimate you." it's not a threat, more of a weighted promise.

"so, what," naoko starts, her jaw set and a tightness to her voice, "are we just gonna dance around each other until i learn your name?"

because that's how this works. it's similar to a game, an intricate little performance done by the shinigami to prove themself to their _zanpakutō_. the only way to achieve _shikai_ , is by learning the name of your weapon, your closest ally. and to learn, you have to be worthy.

and right now, naoko feels worthless. of anything and everything.

"until you earn the _right_ to know my name." there's a mean sneer to the spirit's side profile and naoko's stomach plummets, to her own dismay. "judging by your face, you're not even close." cheeks which were once burning with indignation have paled significantly, a poorly disguised look of shame crossing naoko's features.

the sky darkens, the rain pelting down harshly and unforgiving. a weary groan sounds from the spirit, her head tilting back, water droplets running against her exposed skin. naoko's hair clings to her face and the back of her neck, looking eerily like black veins against her skin. the rain almost hurts against her skin, water causing the thick cloth of her sleep clothes to cling to her form. droplets form on her eyelashes like tears. she thanks the rain that hides the real tears building in her eyes. tears are not for those who wish to be strong, not to her.

it begins to violently storm and her _zanpakutō_ scoffs with scorn, the spirit turn away, now ignoring the girl. no, she's not worthy. and her eyes open to her bedroom ceiling, a singular tear making its way slowly down the side of her face. _weakness_.

* * *

a year has passed, time shifting and flying by swiftly with a blink of an eye. naoko has passed her final tests at the academy, captain shinji welcoming her with encouraging words.

 _ya gotta be more open with yourself naoko-chan_ , he had spoken to her, years of experience etched into his stern words, _or your_ zanpakutō _will never be open with_ you.

she hates his stupid grin and she's learned he's exceedingly frustrating, but the weight and seriousness behind his words gives her motive to take them to heart.

russet eyes stare with intense purpose at the spider lily field spread around her. she rolls her shoulders before standing with her spine straight and back muscles tense. slowly, ever so slowly, she makes her way to the all too familiar clearing. throughout the last year, naoko had been making sporadic visits to her inner world. at the beginning it was all the same; threatening and aggressive storms, her _zanpakutō_ either ignoring her or verbally attacking her with cruel words. it soon changed one day, the skies had cleared up upon her entering the red field. gray clouds still lingered above her head, a slight drizzle caused her hair to frizz at the ends.

she hadn't been prepared for her spirit to be facing her head on when she had made it to the sandy clearing. the woman's face was exceedingly stern and seemed to be permanently stuck in an extremely sour glare. thin lips painted a blood red, a delicate nose and two entirely different colored eyes greeted her. she had seen the blue eye before, the dirty look naoko would occasionally get upon mouthing off granted her that, but she hadn't been expecting the dark red left eye. it was intimidating, the red was similar to blood; dark and menacing. naoko was almost afraid to look her _zanpakutō_ in the eye, but she was too stubborn and focused on her plan to even allow herself do so.

the unfriendly expression on the spirit's face does cause naoko to stumble on her walk to the clearing but she would never admit to that.

she had stopped at the edge - as she had many times before - her toes digging into the ground the only sign of her nerves. clearing her throat, naoko crossed her arms over her chest, her back muscles tense.

"i'm learning your name today," she stated, tilting her head high. "and i'm not leaving until i do."

the spirit raised a thin eyebrow at the declaration, a thinly veiled look of surprise crossing her features. "you'll be here for a while then, brat." despite the gruffly spoken words, a telltale sign of an amused smirk twitches at the corner of her red mouth.

naoko set her shoulders back, clenching her jaw as she narrowed her eyes at her _zanpakutō_. no, she won't let the sharp words get to her, not today.

with a wary look to the cloudy but blue sky, naoko let one foot go forward and land in the sand. when no thunder or storm rumbled ahead, she let out a shaky puff of air she wasn't aware she was holding. a new type of confidence bloomed in her chest, different than the normal self assuredness she normally held within herself. this confidence was cool and collected as opposed to her hot headed cockiness; it's new and with a quirk to her lips, she decided she liked it.

the spirit merely watched her take shaky, newborn deer steps toward the table. she was sitting at the opposite side of the dark wood, leaving her original spot open and naoko wondered briefly, if it was left open like that on purpose. if anything, it caused her to surge forward onto the wooden platform.

standing in front of the red cushion and dark table (she had no time to examine the exquisite golden details of the cushion), she pauses. her throat moves with the somewhat timid gulp she gives as she can now feel the _reiatsu_ flowing off the _zanpakutō_ spirit.

she wanted to say it was overwhelming, the energy rolling off the woman in waves similar to thunder, but it wasn't. it was heavy, for certain, and powerful. but not overwhelming.

it was _deafening_. a crackling sound buzzed around the table, a wet metallic scent floating in the air, mingling with the floral scent of the spider lilies. it wasn't violent despite the noise, it was in fact rather calm. like the stillness of the sky before a terrible storm.

clenching her fists until blunt nails dig into the calloused skin of her palm, naoko takes her seat on the cushion. with a startled jump, she noticed the _katana_ resting on the dark brown tabletop, her _zanpakutō's_ sealed form. russet eyes flicker up to see red and blue staring back and she looks back to the sword.

a tanned hand reached for the sheathed weapon, the dark red hilt of the sword calling to her. naoko kept her movements slow, in fear of angering the spirit before her, the presence of the woman intimidating even without the loud buzz of her _reiatsu_. the spirit doesn't move, but the miss matched eyes narrow as naoko grabbed the hilt.

the black hairs on the back of naoko's neck stand on end as a cold burst of energy shoots up her arm, the feeling leaving a tingling sensation under her skin like electricity. her hand tightened its hold on the hilt and she knows that any other day, she would have let go.

not today.

with her entire arm shaking and a growing buzz igniting in her chest, naoko raised her head to stare at her zanpakutō with a satisfied smirk.

"hello, _manjushage raitei_." the name morphed itself into the space between _shinigami_ and spirit, a power brought to life once spoken aloud.

 _spider lily lightning storm_. it's fitting.

a wicked sneer grew on manjushage's features, the spirit brandishing a twin of the katana in naoko's hand.

" _finally_."

they did fight in the field that day, blades clashing brutally as the swords transformed into deadly halberds. electric red lightning sparked from the weapon upon each hit and it roared and echoed around them.

naoko lost the fight almost instantaneously, a phantom pain blossoming on her right arm from her forearm to her collarbone, a wound given to her by the spirit. but instead of defeat, she had felt something different, a feeling that for a very long time she had thought she would never feel when leaving manjushage's inner world.

pride. pride not just from herself but from her _zanpakutō_.

a surprisingly light laugh erupts from her mouth, chest moving with the giggles as she covers her mouth with her hand.

distantly, she catches the faintest smell of spider lilies and a rough chuckle echoes around her mind.

* * *

thank you for reading! reviews are welcomed!


	2. Chapter 2

disclaimer: i do not own bleach or any of its characters. i only own my oc, naoko. (reiko belongs to alexa/hirakohs).

* * *

 _ **fulmination**_

 **chapter two:** a connection between light and shadow

* * *

a groan resonates throughout the ninth division's sparring grounds, followed by heavy panting. on the ground, splayed out starfish style, lays naoko with her _zanpakutō_ laying in its sealed form near her. skin damp with sweat, she stares up at the blue sky above her as she rests her tired muscles.

to her side, sits a woman, leaning back on her left hand as she too rests after the sparring match the two had finished mere minutes ago. her long legs splay out and naoko notices in irritation that she looks barely out of breath in comparison to her own heavy breathing. a thin gleam of sweat lays upon the sharp lines of her face, only some of her black hair sticks to her skin, while naoko's own onyx locks have been undone from its high ponytail, allowing the strands to fan out on the ground.

muguruma reiko, lieutenant of the ninth division and sister of the (in naoko's opinion, _badass_ ) ninth's captain, muguruma kensei. she just sparred with a _fucking lieutenant_.

naoko had stumbled upon the lieutenant in the sparring grounds after visiting an old classmate in the ninth. she must have taken a wrong turn in the unfamiliar barracks and had ended up in a open space, the patches of grass and dirt familiar to the fifth's own sparring grounds. intrigued by the area, she had entered to merely look around in interest.

of course that's when she spotted reiko. the older woman was at one of the training dummies and naoko stopped dead in her tracks at the sight. reiko was moving against the dummy, movements sharp yet fluid not unlike a striking viper. _she's not even using her_ zanpakutō _but her fists_ , naoko noted in awe. even without her weapon, reiko would be a deadly opponent.

( _no_ , naoko did _not_ decide to practice hand to hand combat after this encounter because of reiko. don't be stupid.)

with a jolt, naoko quickly realized she was staring (like a total _creep_ ) and she had taken a step backward when a steady voice spoke into the clearing, "did you enjoy spending some brief time in the ninth today, naoko?"

naoko froze in her spot, muscles tensing into immediate fight or flight mode at being caught. reiko had stopped practicing and had turned to face the eleventh seat. last naoko had seen the lieutenant, reiko had apologized for her behavior during the ninth's hollow incident. this marked the third interaction with her and naoko, with her dazzling people skills, noticed that each time, reiko was different.

the first encounter with reiko had left much desired for a first meeting as naoko had to restrain the lieutenant from joining a fight she was too injured to rejoin. it- it _sucked_. one of reiko's subordinates had died in the battle against the hollow and the guilt of losing and having to be saved by the fifth was immensely strong on the lieutenant. naoko knows even now, she'd feel the same intense emotions.

still, it _sucked_. and the second encounter was almost as awkward. well, for naoko at least.

reiko had come to the fifth and apologized for her behavior that day. naoko had turned the corner and definitely was not expecting someone in such a high position to bow so deeply to her. naoko had choked on her own spit, sputtering at the randomness of it all, awkwardly brushing off the apology.

cringing at the memory, naoko shuffled her feet in the dirt, russet eyes looking anywhere except towards the sharp beauty. a scowl grew on her face, irritation at herself bubbling in the pit of her stomach.

"uh, yeah," she grunted out, setting her shoulders back. "i was just visiting a friend from the academy. y'know, checking up. and stuff."

she wished there was an easy way to escape this entire situation but the universe _loves_ to make her suffer.

a dark brow arched on the other woman's face and reiko remained silent. _great_. naoko takes the beat of quiet to admire the woman from appearance only, to her sharp jaw, to her ever watching honey brown eyes. naoko felt oddly examined and her hand tugged on the pant leg of her _shihakusho_.

the silence became almost unbearable as another minute passes by and naoko coughs into her fist. _alright, here goes nothing_.

"sparring, huh?" naoko winced at the way the words fall flatly out of her mouth, her typically smooth timbre pushing out clumsily.

"i've been strength conditioning," reiko hummed, hand reaching up to rub around the tattooed '6' in the hollow of her neck. "care to help me practice more with swords?" she gestured towards her own _zanpakutō_ leaning against the unoccupied dummy near her.

manjushage buzzed around in the back of naoko's mind, clearly pleased with the offer and naoko honestly wants to bolt out of the grounds and back to the comfort of the fifth division. but she's _torn_ ; of course sparring with reiko sounds intriguing as she's never really had the chance to spar with anyone in such high position. the downside is that she's a _lieutenant for fuck's sake_ and naoko's not sure if she's ready to die just yet.

"um," was her brilliant response to the proposal. naoko grimaced, chest heaving with a self deprecating sigh. " _iiii_ ," she drags out the word, "would love to?" the immense secondhand embarrassment manjushage had sent her way is mortifying and definitely _not_ helping.

a huff of silent laughter made itself known to naoko's ears and now she really wants to crawl into a hole. a very, very deep hole. reiko's mouth had broken into a very small, amused smile. points for making her smile? naoko will take that as a win.

"forgive me for laughing," the lieutenant apologized, smile still in place. "you know, if you're too nervous, you don't have to." her voice took on a tone naoko is all too familiar with, she knows a taunt when she hears one. sparring with anyone taller than her is always a given for prodding.

the embarrassed flush that was present before due to her earlier fumbling turned brighter at the indignation that flares up inside her. the muscle of her jaw twitches violently as she clenched her teeth, eyes narrowed into slits at reiko.

" _no_ ," naoko gritted out with a growl, feet stomping over to the middle of the grounds. _she's not nervous, what the_ fuck. calloused fingers twitch near her _zanpakutō_ at her hip, manjushage thrumming with elated anticipation. "what are the rules?"

grabbing her own sword, reiko moved to where naoko is and the eleventh seat felt a heavy weight of dread drop down into her stomach. arguably, naoko had potentially made a mistake here.

now here they lay, naoko's ass thoroughly kicked and reiko barely out of breath.

naoko turns her head, glancing upward to the older woman with a glare as the sun hits her eyes. even post spar, reiko looks graceful, dignified. perhaps it's something she'll one day be, not an angry little gremlin.

 _nothing wrong with a little anger, child_ , manjushage murmurs with a chuckle.

naoko huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. chestnut eyes flicker to reiko's _zanpakutō_ , a flare of interest rising in her. they had sparred without releasing their _shikai_ , deciding to just practice form with minimal damage. she has no idea what reiko's spirit's name is nor does she know what its abilities are. the entire weapon was shrouded in mystery to her and it prompts a cough from her, clearing her throat to ask an innocent question.

"hey," reiko hums in response, eyes gliding over to naoko, "what's up with your _zanpakutō_? like what's it name and _shikai_?"

reiko's eyes seem to take in naoko, pausing to think before she answers. which, naoko doesn't understand fully, the small glimmer of hesitance before reiko shifts, moving one hand to play with the collar of her _shihakusho_.

"his name is tsukikage," she supplies softly, almost gauging naoko for a― well, naoko's not exactly sure. there's something akin to caution in reiko's eyes and it's strange for the younger shinigami.

"his _shikai_ ," she hums, "is a gift only an enemy gets to receive."

thick brows furrow at the slightly cryptic words (more _odd_ than cryptic), naoko rolls over onto her stomach with a groan, sore arms folding under her chin. it's a weird thing to say. is she ashamed of her _zanpakutō's_ ability? she hears the word shadow in the name and she sighs, a deep scowl settling on her face. what could be the reason to hide one's _shikai_?

"that's ominous," she settles into muttering, lips pursing in thought. the words are half hearted and just, well, maybe a little disappointed.

there's a gentle quirk to reiko's lips, softening her sharp features in amusement. something glitters in her honey brown eyes, like laughter.

"tell me about your _zanpakutō_ , then."

tugging her lower lip into her mouth for a second, naoko ponders the request. a small part of her begs to be petty and answer with a vague description. but, manjushage's _reiatsu_ fluctuates at the chance to be bragged about, a feverish cold pulsating from under the katana sheath.

 _jeez_ , what a show off.

"her name is manjushage, or manjushage raitei." naoko blows a raven strand out of her face with a puff of air. "she's a bitchy old lady who made it storm in my inner world for months." she winces at the squawk of displeasure from her _zanpakutō_. exhaling loudly in annoyance with a roll of her eyes, the eleventh seat shifts on her stomach, digging her chin onto her right forearm.

"lightning based." now this, sounds a bit smug, a warm pride touching her words with manjushage calming in her inner world. it's not quite a smirk that appears on full lips, but it's close enough.

reiko makes a noise in the back of her throat, tilting her head back as she scrutinizes naoko. the simple stare being laid upon her causes a nervous feeling to mix in uncomfortably with the pride.

"she's very powerful." and at that, the spirit sends a wave of satisfaction throughout naoko's mind, the _reiatsu_ surrounding her becoming a more delighted warmth. but the next words from the lieutenant's mouth causes the warmth to become humid and heavy: "be careful when fighting with her."

the girl (for that's what she is in comparison, a child with too much power at her fingertips) knits her eyebrows together in a frown, head lifting from her arms at the words. be careful? for what reason would she have to be careful for about manjushage?

"well," naoko starts before pausing. russet eyes narrow in thought. "well, i know _that_." the words sound petulant even to her own ears and an invisible heat blooms in embarrassment under her skin. she does know, if only a little. her captain had given her an incredibly similar, if not more aggravatingly vague, manner.

reiko's eyes flicker, eyes seemingly taking naoko in. her brows furrow, shifting her position and naoko's sufficiently _on edge_ now. the gaze is critical, to her at least, and the eleventh seat feels as though she's under a spotlight.

(does the lieutenant know she has a rather intense stare?)

"i'm sure you do," reiko says clearly and naoko hears a strange tone to her voice. she can't tell what it is, but it sounds oddly _polite_. "but it can be difficult to control a _zanpakutō_. i know it can."

the younger hates how she sounds as if she's speaking from experience. it's a good way to bestow wisdom; _having done it before_. it's sound and entirely logical. makes naoko angry that she can't be angry about it.

"right. yeah, i know that." it sounded lame in her head. sounds even worse being spoken into the sparring grounds. it's almost as if her intelligence dropped in the presence of the other woman.

the silence between them turns heavy like a thick smoke. naoko wonders to herself if it's a talent to be able to kill a conversation as fast as she did. reiko glances up at the sky above them, muscles of her arms flexing as she pushes herself up into an upright position.

(naoko doesn't stare. absolutely not.)

she groans into the dirt under her, almost inhaling the particles. using her own arms, _god_ she hopes her arms looked as cool as reiko's did just seconds ago, naoko pushes her throbbing body up onto her knees. the black of the shinigami uniform shows no mercy in showing the dirt all over her front and she winces at the thought of cleaning it off. patting her hands against the grime, naoko looks down at reiko. who. who is looking back at her, the same analyzing gleam in her eyes.

naoko fights the urge to shove her foot in her mouth. she doesn't want to seem rude or offender a higher up in any way, she's not a complete idiot.

"why're you looking at me like that?" foot, in mouth.

(it could have been worse. she could have sworn at her.)

something _really fucking weird_ happens. the lieutenant stands, brushing off her own pants before looking back at naoko. and _smiles_. it's not big or sunny, nothing of the sort. her lips take on a side quirk, the analytical gleam having turned into amusement.

naoko has half the mind to check to see if her brain is leaking from her ears.

"just keep training hard with them." reiko's smile has breached into her voice and naoko can hear the silent laugh. she's being _laughed_ at.

the eleventh seat's mouth opens up, for some kind of retort or _something_ , because really, she can't stand being laughed at. especially when she doesn't know what for. a word forms in the back of her throat, the sound rising―

"and what are you two doin'?"

a guttural, strangled squeak erupts from deep within naoko as she spins to glare at her captain incredulously. a bright red blush rises from her neck up as her entire body tenses up.

" _captain_!" the word is hissed out in a heated whisper, her jaw clenched tightly. "what are you doing here."

the insufferable asshole has the gall to smirk at her. "i asked first."

(manjushage is laughing from her spot and naoko considers murder.)

"hello, captain," reiko says mildly, the amused smile twitching into something else. naoko looks at her, then back at shinji, eyes narrowed. she gets the strange feeling she's missing something here.

the infuriating smirk shifts into something else for shinji as well, his eyes flicking from naoko to reiko. "shinji."

the. _fuck_. naoko feels as though she's stepped into something incredibly private despite her being there _first_. the both of them have these strange, borderline soft smiles on their faces.

"right," the smile on the lieutenant's face just gets softer around the edges, "shinji."

is this what an alternate dimension feels like? do they even know what they're doing right now? how did this happen? naoko can feel herself slowly fading away into the background as they look into each other's eyes. it's weird, it's _sappy_.

"uh," naoko's gruff voice shatters whatever… moment the two were having. "did you, uh, need anything, captain?"

shinji glances back at his officer and naoko has never once in her life been more grateful to watch the stupid, sadistic grin slip back onto his face.

"need ya t' fill out some paperwork back at the barracks." she takes it back, can they go back to the painful flirting. he seems to read her like a book and see the horror etched onto her face because the bastard is almost laughing at her (second time in one day, must be some kind of record!).

"c'mon, naoko," she twitches at his tone, "it won't kill ya."

 _no, but it might as well._

naoko spares a hopeless glance back at reiko, who in return _still_ has that amused quirk to her lips. no, there won't be any help from her side it seems. swallowing tightly, she manages a swift bow for the lieutenant.

"it was an honor to spar with you today, lieutenant." her face is twisted up in an unfortunate glare but naoko's tone remains grateful, despite the odd talk about _zanpakutōs_.

"with you as well," reiko replies, the smile morphing into a more kinder amusement.

naoko nods before stomping away, her _stupid_ captain following behind her with a poorly hidden snicker as he too says his goodbyes to reiko.

the eleventh seat wonders later that day in her room, hand poised with a brush over paper, if those two idiots knew if they were flirting.

* * *

 _introducing:_ reiko muguruma, my friend's (hirakohs) own bleach oc! she has her own story featuring the character so go and check her out!

thank you for reading! reviews are welcomed! :)


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